Dance-o-rama day....

It's here. It's here! The much anticipated, much practised for , many dollars spent in anticipation of Year End Dance Recital. And yes I do believe these words deserve both italics and capitols. This is A BIG Deal in our teeny tiny world folks! I can't wait! The kids are very excited. I'm going to cry, I just know it!
My boy, my creative, wonderful second born son, has a major role in the ballet. This is pretty amazing to me as he just started. Last year he sat in the audience and thought, "yah, maybe I'd like to try that."

Here are Isaac and Olivia, so excited to get a SYTYCD dude's autograph at the last competition....

Amelia, (youngest and still in the Rec program which = less time and money, thank goodness for small mercies) is a "gangsta bunny" - her words. I have no idea what this is but I'm excited to find out. I'm pretty sure it's a lot of standing around on stage staring into the lights because that's pretty much what 5 year olds do on stage for the first time. She's also in a ballet class which means a crazy mad dash costume change for her. Next year it's only one class for my dance crazy youngest!

Here she is at the park while we wait for her bro. and cousin to finish their dance class....

Please anyone reading this, hold me too this!
And Madeline? My beautiful Maddy. She is a different kid this year, happy, confident and looks like a dancer. I cannot wait to see her ballet piece. They dance to The Colours of the Wind this year and just watching the practice made all the moms tear up. It's a lovely lovely dance. (and yes, we recognize we are very bias - it's our job!)

Here's a bunch of them at the last competition. She's the first girl on the right....

So what would normal moms do before this huge day. Should I get a couple extra hours sleep? get the dinner ready? How about stress about all the things there are to do?
NOPE.
I went for an 18.5 km run!!!! YAY. I can run again. The injury seems to have healed and although I'm feeling a tad stiff and will probablly not walk normally tommorow, I FEEL GREAT!!! You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Oh and I got to look after Kev's cousin's little man this week. She owns the dance studio and needed a hand. We were more than happy to hang out with him.
How cute is he?! I WANT one!!!

Another Beautiful Day and other things....

I'm sitting here quietly thinking about how thankful I am for this life I lead, not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but still pretty wonderful.
I'm listening to my girls in the shower, instructing each other on the fine art of conditioning your hair while singing random song lyrics...opps someone just got soap in her eye....

...aaaaaaand I'm back. they have a way of resolving things for themselves before I can even get there to help them!

I got up fairly early this morning (not living on a farm early, but early enough) and Isaac surprised me by being awake as well. He was so hungry he couldn't sleep so I fried him up an egg before I headed to the pool and he informed me that this was his favourite time of day to do his math. He's not awake yet you see, and it's over before he's even aware it started. Youngest Son is VERY good at math. I need all my faculties about me to tackle even the most basic of tasks in the math world.

By the time I got home, he was in my bed fast asleep...still is actually. The beauty of homeschooling!

Hey take a peek into a random ordinary day at the Speilschool house.....
The kids found my rag bag and asked if they could sew.

Notice my poor sad inadequate machine in the background? Well it gave up the ghost this day so...I need to get a decent one! Silly thing!
Hey. See if you can guess where we're spending our vacation money this year???

If you guessed in Isaac's mouth, you'd be close but we're also dedicating a bit to this child (we wouldn't want to be unfair at all!)

This one is up next if she doesn't quit with the nighttime thumb sucking....(sigh)

I really could be worse though right?! And look how happy they are as they cut things up into ity bity bits :)

And if you're thinking, but doesn't she have 4 kids? Why don't we ever see the oldest one? I do actually. Thanks for asking. It's because he's going to school this year for the first time. He loves it! Or tolerates it as much as can be expected (he is an almost 14 year old boy so...)
...Oh look, I found one. Here he is about a month ago heading off to Vancouver Island on a ball hockey tourney. He really does have a great life too!

It can be about my perspective on things. I could look around the house today and notice the dirty floor and the stacks of unfolded, clean laundry and think about the supper that needs to go into the crockpot and the shopping that needs to be done and feel overwhelmed OR...
I could hear the joy in my girl's voices and they sing and play, and the peace that surrounds our home as we learn to just rest in His promise that He never gives us more than we can handle. This is the life I'm privileged to lead. I'll try to remember that as I stand in the checkout line at Superstore explaining to my girls why I will NOT be buying them gum today.

" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world girves. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid" (John 14.:27)